Working hard for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

April 24, 2005

Stonham Barns was the latest stop on the campaign trail. It's a mixed leisure and retail development in rural Suffolk. The economy of Suffolk is changing as agriculture becomes less important in terms of jobs and Stonham Barns is a place which has allowed many small retail, leisure and craft business to set up and flourish.

I took a keen interest in the pottery business set up by Hoxne man Chris Soule. He has had alot of help from Business Link for Suffolk which has helped with advice and government funding.

We need to encourage more small businesses in Suffolk. Stonham Barns is a great place for entrepreneurs and an example of what can be achieved.

April 20, 2005

Have been canvassing in North Ipswich on a daily basis - seems like it anyway! Will be in Kesgrave tomorrow. Have a slot on Radio Suffolk next week.

I have also finalised all our leaflets and arranged with the Royal Mail for delivery of our freepost leaflet. As part of standing for parliament, the state pays for each candidate to have a leaflet or letter delivered to every property in the constituency. Royal Mail took 50,000 leaflets on Tuesday and postmen will deliver them over the next seven days. Certainly saves my shoe leather!

In the main, the voters are not hostile, although there is a degree of apathy. Still, the national polls look good but maybe they don't count the apathetic?

April 11, 2005

Campaigning in Kesgrave, East of Ipswich, and Bramford, West of Ipswich, today.

At Kesgrave I was joined by Richard Howitt MEP and a small team to meet the people outside Tescos. Given that Kesgrave has five Tory councillors and one Liberal Democrat, I was pleasantly surprised by the positive reaction we received.

At Bramford we went door to door. Both Kesgrave and Bramford seem like great places to live and it was good to get out and about in them.

That's the first week of campaigning in now. We have been out knocking on doors around North Ipswich and I have spent time writing several leaflets which are now at the printers.

I was formally adopted as candidate for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich on Friday Night at a well attended meeting in Debenham. My agent, Bill, still had us out door knocking beforehand, despite the bitter wind! I gave a short acceptance speech, outlining what we were fighting for - getting people into work, help for families and more community police. Bill then outlined the campaign and ten people signed my nomination paper. We rounded off with a lively debate on MRSA - it seemed like everyone contributed to the debate.

The party members seem in good heart and this bodes well for the rest of the campaign.

March 26, 2005

Hardened campaigners know that the best way to meet voters is to knock on their door and introduce yourself. To get close enough to see the whites of their eyes, to mis-quote Sir Andrew Agnew at Dettingen.

This week I joined my county colleagues in their doorstep campaign for their elections, which are definitely on the fifth of May. They started in a solid Labour area so we were hoping for a good response and I thought the response was good. The issues raised here were more to do with local matters. "My roof leaks and the council hasn't fixed it" rather than in depth discussion about macro-economic policy.

However, while there was a degree of unhappiness with Labour there was no desire to vote Tory. One bloke summed it up "It's Labour or nothing". He has an issue with the County Council which needs sorting so hopefully we can deal with that and he will be Labour this time.

February 06, 2005

I joined Labour MEP Richard Howitt and local councillors at the ASDA superstore in Ipswich to meet and discuss topics of interest with the Saturday shoppers.

I was surprised how far people travel to shop at ASDA - there were people there from Bury and Wisbech. Most were local people from Whitton and Whitehouse and we had a good range of issues including community policing, how good local schools were, council housing and aid for Africa. It's great to hear direct from the public. Even found time to get a picture:

January 16, 2005

You have to give us full marks for knocking on doors on Saturday morning in North Ipswich, since it was raining on and off and we could see our breath in front of us. The turnout of activists was in double figures which was tremendous and augurs well for better weather.

Of course, the voters don't like coming to the door in the rain, so it wasn't the greatest canvass ever. One girl did offer me an umbrella but by then I was only two houses from the end and was pleased to adjourn to the nearest pub!

November 29, 2004

I have been up to the Whitton estate four times in the last four days! There seems to be a never-ending supply of leaflets to deliver. We are still campaigning on the Tory threat to scrap the Ipswich pensioners bus pass and on the reduction in crime across the borough. Crime is down 9.1% on last year.

Michael Lord has also been in the paper, with an advert for a surgery next Saturday. Two surgeries, in two different places, so they are quite short. As an avid reader of the EADT for the past six months, I can safely say this this is the first time Sir Michael has advertised. Maybe he has realised there is an election coming up!

November 21, 2004

The hectic pace continues with two more leafletting sessions up in Whitehouse ward and three council meetings: Police, Electronic Government and Council Housing. Also found time to go up to Hartismere Hospital on Saturday.

The Police reported back on the crime stats for Ipswich which show a 9.1% decrease in crimes year on year. The hard work of the Police and the multi-agency teams fighting crime should be warmly applauded.

November 14, 2004

Last week I was invited to attend a Question Time session at Claydon High School for the Claydon and Thurleston Sixth Form. There were also representatives from the Lib-Dems, Tories and UKIP. UKIP are not a one issue party because they "know everything that is wrong with the country".

I thought it was a good session and it is especially valuable to listen to the views of young people because they don't talk to politicians much. There doesn't seem to be a mechanism to communicate with young adults - perhaps we need to go into schools more?

There were two main issues: border control and Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

EMA is paid to 60 children at Thurleston & Claydon - on family incomes up to £30,ooo per year. It is a mean tested benefit aimed at helping children from poor families stay on at school for sixth form. The opposition is from people who don't get it and some are just above the threshold. The UKhas one of the highest drop out rates of any developed country, which is an alarming waste of talent. I fully support the EMA aims which are to smash school drop out rates at 16 and boost the aspiration and opportunities for those young people who have never viewed staying on at school or college as something for them.

Border control of immigrants was seen as a big issue and some of the Daily Express terms like "spongers", "swamping", "thousands of Polish gypsies" and "we give away benefits too easily" were trotted out. A vote was taken and all bar three called for thougher border controls. Is this view widely held? Immigrants are contributing massively to the British economy and British culture.

There were debates on other points too and all in all it was a good session. Hopefully I will be invited back!